Liquid mixing and filling apparatus.



W. A.,SHEPHARD. LIQUID MIXING AND FILLING APPARATUS.

ArrLloA'non FILED JULY 28,1913.

Patented June 30,1914

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WILLIAM; A. SHEPHARD, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN.

"ileum MiXING AND FILLING nrrann'rus.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 30, 1914 Applicationfiled July 28, 1913. Serial No. 781,477.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. SHEP- HARD, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Waukesha, in the county ofWaukesha and State of Wisconsin, have 1nvented certain new and usefulImprovements in Liquid Mixing and Filling Apparatus; and I dohereby-declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

. My invention refers to bottling apparatus and is especiallyapplicableto that type of bottlin device described in a patent issued to me 501'improvements in milk cooling and bottling apparatus, No. 1048597, datedDecember 31, 1912.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, economicaland efiective mixer in connection with the nozzles of a distributingpipe for supplying a series of bottles, whereby milk from two or morecows is thoroughly mixed as it is discharged into the bottles, thusrendering it possible to provide each bottle so'filled with milk ofuniform richness, it being apparent that,

under ordinary conditions, the milk from agroup of cows varies in butterfat and should this milk be successively discharged into originalpackages itwould result in an uneven grade of milk being distributed tothe trade, due to the fact that said milk was not previously thoroughlymixed. It will also be understood that while I have mentioned the factthat the mixer is particularly applicable to bottling. apparatus formilk, that said mixer may be utilized with equal efficiency in mixingother liquids.

With the above objects inview the invention consists in certain detailsof con struction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth withreference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed. r

In the drawings Figure 1. represents a side elevation partly in sectionof a liquid-distributing pipe providedwith discharge nozzles embodyingthe features of my invention, one of the nozzles being shown ap plied tothe mouth ofa milk bottle, and Fig. 2, a detailed cross section of oneof the nozzles, the. section being indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1. v

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents a distributingpipe provided with a series of discharge nozzles2, there being only twoof such nozzles illustrated.

Each nozzle is adapted to fit into and form a closure for the mouth of acontainer A, in

the form of a bottle, and, inorder to efiect i a seal, the nozzle isfitted with a tapered face gasket 3, which gasket is seated against ashoulder of the nozzle, the protruding end of said nozzle being arrangedto extend a predetermined distance into the neck of said bottle asshown. The bore of each nozzle has cast or otherwise fitted therein alon 'tudinally disposed central partition wal 4. which wall divides thenozzle into a'feed passage 4' and an overflow passage l. The upper edgeof the partition wall 4 projects above the plane of the lower face ofthe discharge pipe flow channel, the said upper portion of the wallconstituting a baffle-plate, whereby a predetermined quantity of themilk is caused to flow into the bottle in its travel through the pipe,while'a certain quantity of said liquid will flow over the battle-platetoward the next nozzle, as'indicated by the arrows.

By the above arrangement it is apparent that as the milk or other liquidflows in the direction indicated, that portion of the stream below theedge of the baffle-plate will be caused to drop into the bottle and whensaid bottle is filled, the continuous flow through the pipe channel willsetup a circulation down through the feed compartment of the nozzle andup through the overflow compartment, at which point the milk exhaustingfrom the'bottle will meet the main flow within the supply pipe, whichmain flow travels over the battle-plate edge. Thus. a portion of themain flow of liquid from the supply pipe is directed circuitouslythrough the first bottle by the mixing device contained in the nozzleand only a certain percentage of the initial flow will remain in saidbottle, which is added to and mixed and is more or less continuallydisplaced as the feed is maintained, whereby a thorough mixing of thefiuid will result. The contents of the first bottle will thusapproximately equal in richness the con tents of the last bottle filled,due to the fact that an eddying current is maintained in'each bottle toefi'ect a mixture of fluids of difierent densities. Attention is alsocalled to the fact that, as shown, the division wall 4 adjacent to thedischarge mouth of the nozzle may, in some instances, be flared inopposite directions, whereby the flow of liquid is deflected outwardlyto cause a-more perfect circulation through the bottle. Iclaim:- V 1. Amixing and filling apparatus" for milkor analogous liquids comprising anin-' clined distributing pipe, aseries of comparatively short nozzles m"communication with the channel of said pipe and adapted to extend intothe necks only ofvessels to be filled each of said nozzlesbeing dividedinto a eed, andov'erflow passage of equal;

1 length, the said passages beings-separated,

' by a'rbafiie plate having its upper edge ex-- tending above the lowerface of the channel of said pipe. 4

2. A mixing and fillingapparatus for milk or analogous liquidscomprising an inclined distributing pipe therefor, a series ofcomparatively-short nozzles in communication with the channel of thepipe and adapted to eitend into the necks only of vessels to be filled,each of said nozzles be ing divided into an unobstructed feed and 'anunobstructed overflow passage of equal length and area, the saidpassages being separated'byabaflie plate having its upper edge extendinabpve the,loweriace of the channel of sald pipe; j

.' Inv testimonythat claim .the foregoing in the county otMilwaukee andState of Wisconsin in the presence "of two witnesses.

-' WILLIAM A. SHEPHARD;

Witnesses: v a I CASANAVE YOUNG, M. E. Dowmnn,

V I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee

